Buddy Bison's Buzz - May 2014

Kids to Parks Day is 8 days away and I can barely contain my excitement! There are more than 1,000 planned events in local, state and national parks across the country on or around May 17th all focused on getting kids outdoors. Find a park event near you at kidstoparks.org and read more about KTP below. But we have to remember, there would be no KTP Day or kids to explore parks if we didn't have Moms! Happy Mother’s Day to our Buddy Bison Moms. Do something fun this weekend and next weekend at a park!

Your friend,

Buddy Bison

May 17 – Get Out and Go!

Gearing up for Kids to Parks Day? Making plans? If you don’t already have May 17th on your calendar, consider making it your top priority. Find a park to explore, pledge to participate and check out our free resources. When you pledge to take a child in your life to a park, you'll be automatically entered to win our KTPD14 GRAND prize. Watch this video from our friends at the NFL Players Association then get out and go! Check out the free resources below.

Find a park or special park event to explore on Kids to Parks Day. Check this map and list for something close to home.

Each Sunday a new weekly contest opens featuring a hot prize from one of our loyal sponsors. Follow National Park Trust on Facebook to learn more.

Check out Buddy Bison’s outdoor tip this week. Print it out and pin it on your fridge to inspire your weekend activities.

Have you pledged that you, your family and friends will visit a local park on Kids to Parks Day, May 17th? If not, please do so today. When you pledge, you'll be automatically entered into our contest for our KTPD14 GRAND prize.

Where’s Buddy Bison Been?

This would be a very long article if I told you about all the parks and places I have been this past month. Here are a few stories to get you motivated to start your own adventure. Want to be featured in Buddy Bison’s Buzz? Email me your photos and stories to Buddy@BuddyBison.org. You may see your photos in our next newsletter.

New Friends in Mississippi - Last month I explored LeFleur’s Bluff State Park in Jackson, Mississippi with 75 fourth graders from Newton Elementary. We saw some amazing exhibits in the museum and then hiked the nature trails. I heard that one of our groups spotted a snake hanging in a tree! Luckily, we knew the snake wasn’t dangerous thanks to a fun and informative reptile presentation by Mr. Corey Wright, a naturalist at the park, who showed us snakes and a baby alligator. Did you know there are 23 different species of crocodiles but only 2 different species of alligators in the world? More photos here!

Thank you to our friends at Southern Company Charitable Foundation, Inc. for sponsoring Newton Elementary.

Earth Day Texas - Guess who was spotted at the nation’s largest Earth Day celebration in Dallas, Texas? That’s right, I made it all the way to Fair Park in Dallas to support Earth Day and met hundreds of excited kids and families. Even though it was 95 degrees outside, I shared Kids to Parks Day with many new friends and told them about the different park events happening in their communities. I even learned about the Dallas Mayor’s Youth Fitness Initiative to improve youth health and fitness. Way to go Earth Day Texas for a great weekend of fun park activities that engages kids with healthy habits. More photos here!

Living Food Chain Up Close - I recently brought my friends at the Earth Conservation Corps and their live animals to visit 120 fourth and fifth graders at Lynbrook Elementary in Springfield, VA. The students learned about food webs and the physical and evolutionary adaptations of various animals. A few lucky students were "transformed" into birds of prey with sharp talons, beaks and eyesight. Mr. Chuck Penn of Dominion Power also joined us for the presentation. Thank you Dominion Power for sponsoring Lynbrook Elementary this year. The fourth grade teacher Amanda Frank said, “the kids had so much fun and have not stopped talking about the day.” More photos here!

“Ready, Set, Wear it!”

We are planning a great trip this summer to get hundreds of kids canoeing on the Anacostia River, D.C. (more on that later) and it got me thinking about water safety. I did a little research and I was pleasantly surprised to learn that National Safe Boating Week is starting on Kids to Parks Day, May 17th. Here is their #1 water safety tip:

“It is important to wear a life jacket each and every time you are on the water. Accidents on the water happen much too fast to reach and put on a life jacket. There's never an excuse not to ‘Wear It!’”.